YouTube is dedicated to presenting original content uploaded by people from around the globe. Last year, when we launched local YouTube sites around the world, we were able to more fully appreciate the diversity of talent in our global community.

Not all French speakers live in France. Japanese entertainment extends far beyond Japan. We are thrilled to unveil a truly global experience on youtube.com. We've enhanced the site so you can pick a language and, separately, a local lens for the content. For example, you can view today's Featured Videos for Canada while navigating the site interface in French, U.K. English, or any of the other 15 offered translations. The language and local content selection links are found in the masthead, right next to the YouTube logo.

And with YouTube localized in 19 geographies and available in 15 languages including Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese, there are 300 ways you can customize your international experience, making our site accessible to more people around the world -- even if you're a French-Canadian living in Italy and interested in what's popular in Korea. It is a small world after all.

As you probably guessed, we’re big fans of anything that lets people interact with online video and gives the YouTube community the chance to express themselves in creative ways. New features such as Video Annotations, which allow you to insert comments and information into the video itself, are just one example of how we're beginning to expand what you can do with your videos on the site.

It’s in this spirit that we’re thrilled to announce Google’s purchase of Omnisio, a small California-based startup that’s focused on making online video more useful and collaborative. The Omnisio team has tremendous technical expertise when it comes to advanced video tools and having this kind of talent at YouTube should help us further explore ways to enhance your YouTube experience.

We believe we’ve only scratched the surface in terms of what’s possible with online video, so stay tuned for other tools and features that will let you do even more with your videos.

From capoeira tutorials to flamenco dancing lessons, YouTube is home to many original, creative Spanish and Brazilian videos. It's important to us that we recognize the most popular and prolific international creators on YouTube, which is why today we're once again expanding the reach of the YouTube Partner Program, this time to Spain and Brazil.

With the addition of Spain and Brazil, we bring the tally of countries in the Partner Program to ten. By expanding this program internationally, we hope to showcase the immense talent and diversity of our global community, and compensate creators for the essential role they play on our site.

So if you have a significant following on YouTube -- like two of our newest Spanish partners, wapeta and cronopio1979 -- and you'd like to make some more dinero (ou dinheiro), apply now.

SAN BRUNO, CA--(July 30, 2008) - YouTube,™ today enables anyone to look for local videos from around the world in 15 different languages. By letting people select a geography and then choose a language, YouTube has made it even easier to enjoy local content -- even for people who don't speak the same language as the locals.

Using the new language and local content selection links found next to the YouTube logo throughout the website, any user can view today's Featured Videos for Canada, Brazil, or another listed geography while navigating the site interface in French, UK English, or any of the other offered translations.

"We're always looking for ways to improve the online video experience for our incredibly diverse global community," said Luis Garcia, YouTube International Product Manager. "I'm excited that we're now providing 300 ways to combine language with local and global content so our community members can customize their YouTube experience to reflect that diversity."

With this change, all localized YouTube destinations will be integrated into the global youtube.com site. For instance, people seeking videos on mx.youtube.com will be directed to youtube.com where they will see Mexican content in Spanish with links to search other languages and geographies.

YouTube began launching local sites just over a year ago, and has launched 19 to date including sites in the UK, Brazil, Japan, Korea, France and Germany that promote locally relevant videos. YouTube is currently available in 15 languages, including Spanish, French, Chinese, Russian and Portuguese.

About YouTube

YouTube is the world's most popular online video community allowing millions of people to discover, watch and share originally created videos. YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers large and small. YouTube, LLC is based in San Bruno, Calif., and is a subsidiary of Google Inc.

All kinds of people connect on YouTube every second of every day, but this week we wanted to call attention to one especially vibrant community on the site: the hearing-impaired. Online video is proving to be an effective medium for deaf vloggers, entertainers, educators, activists and the sign-language-curious to talk to and connect with each other:

Today, we're pleased to announce the launch of the United Kingdom Nonprofit Program, which will provide U.K.-based nonprofit organizations who meet the acceptance criteria with benefits like increased branding and upload capacity, as well as the opportunity to be featured in the "promoted areas" of the site.

If you're a nonprofit organization based in the U.K., click here to find out more about the Nonprofit Program and to apply. And if you're a nonprofit who is headquartered outside the U.S. or U.K., we'll keep you posted as we expand the program to new corners of the world.

Summer blockbuster movies mean big budgets, big expectations, big box office and, of course, some brazenly brilliant YouTube parody videos.It's been impossible to ignore the superhero spectaculars that have filled the big screen this year. And for every new wave of heroics, we've seen YouTube videos that range from loving tribute to super-spoof. Iron Man got the summer off to a flying start, and user ItsJustSomeRandomGuy added to his popular series of "I'm a Mac..." parodies with a hysterical head-to-head between Marvel's Iron Man and Batman for DC. User COL321 also went the action-figure route with this note perfect spoof of the Iron Man trailer.

Based on some of your comments and emails saying that the entry period for the People.com/YouTube Be a Red Carpet Reporter contest was too short, we have decided to extend the deadline for submissions by an additional 48 hours – which means that July 23 will be the last, last day to interview your way to TV's biggest red carpet event.

The premise is simple: send us your best two- to four-minute video showing off your interview skills with a family member or friend, using your front walk as a red carpet. Submissions are due by midnight EST on the 23rd, after which a team of PEOPLE.com editors and red carpet correspondents will narrow the field to 10 finalists. Then it's up to PEOPLE.com and the YouTube community to select the best red carpet reporter to be flown to the L.A. event. (Read the full rules to ensure that your video qualifies for this contest.)

YouTube teems with videos representing a multitude of viewpoints, especially when it comes to users who are passionately engaged with religion or spirituality. This week’s Trendspotting Tuesday showcases those folks who use the site as their pulpit, demonstrating that you don’t have to go to India to have a guru (for example) and that you can preach to your “congregation” right from your comfy living room armchair. Naturally, this playlist could have been as long and as plentiful as all the viewpoints out there, so consider it just a randomly ordered taster of how some spiritual people are using the site:

The aim of the International Year of the Potato is two-fold: to raise awareness about the crucial role of the potato in agriculture and economic security around the world, especially in developing nations, and to promote sustainable potato-based systems which would provide nutritious food for present and future generations. Other organizations besides the UN are also using YouTube to pitch in and meet these objectives. For example, the Idaho Potato Commission recently launched "ITuber Take," a contest which invited potato aficionados to create and submit YouTube videos about potatoes:

By the time the iPhone residue has been cleaned off of the blender blades, there are sure to be dozens more videos posted on the various handsets, smart phones, touch screens and other gadgets that make up the "most wanted" lists of our tech experts. And there will doubtlessly be no shortage of opinions on offer, from "get it now!" fanboys to "wait and see!" skeptics. Who knew that cell phones would give us so much to talk about?

It's time for another Guru Challenge and this month Princess Diana161 wants to see what's cooking (specifically summer recipes):

We all know there are some talented chefs on YouTube and we want to see them make everything from grilled hamburgers to tasty desserts. (The best ones just might make our home page.) Just upload your video as a response to Princess Diana's humorous call to action.

New to the Guru Challenges? They're for users making HowTo videos -- or for those who need a reason to start. Our first challenge with Zoo York was a call out to see your creative ways for spreading the word, and it generated some fun responses:

Our next challenge was a green-themed one, with architect Michelle Kaufmann asking to see how you would reuse and recycle an item you would normally throw away. Here's a peek at some of the best entries that have come in so far:

You can access the Community Help Forums through the Community Tab, our Help Center or by clicking the Community Help Forums link displayed at the bottom of most pages on the site. In addition to related articles, forum posts are now included within search results in the Help Center. Although YouTube staff may jump in periodically to post updates on bugs, upcoming features or make general announcements, the purpose of this board is for experts from our community (like you) to have a centralized place to post commonly asked questions and provide answers about site usage. You must be logged into your YouTube and Google account to post a question or reply, but anyone can read messages on the Community Help Forums. You will need to click on "Join this group" upon your first visit to the forums, then you can post as often as you like while still logged in.

Our ultimate goal is to make Community Help Forums the easiest and fastest way to get help on YouTube - but we can't do it without you. We encourage everyone to stay active, post often and help us make this discussion board the main destination for users to seek help from community experts.

Leave it to the pioneering British band Radiohead to make a video without a camera or lights. Witness the data+laser magic of "House of Cards" on our home page today or right here:

So how did they do it? With the help of 3D image capturing created by two technology companies: Geometric Informatics and Velodyne LIDAR. Their scanning systems produce structured light to capture up-close 3D images, while another system uses multiple lasers to capture large, landscape-type environments. In this video, 64 lasers rotating and shooting in a 360 degree radius 900 times per minute produced all the exterior scenes. Here's a video that may give you a better idea of all the machinery involved:

You can also find this data-centric bit of creativity on Google's code website, which contains additional pieces of data available for incorporation into your own visualizations. Upload such videos to Radiohead's YouTube group if you'd like to share them with the band and the YouTube community. Thanks to a Creative Commons license, all the data used to produce this music video is being made available to share with you.

We've received a lot of vibrant feedback about our Trendspotting Tuesday features, and the idea for this week's takeover comes from SammieTV, who noted that there's no shortage of users teaching others their native tongues or wanting to practice their language skills.

In fact, whittling down the list to just 12 videos was not an easy task, as it seems like there's someone on YouTube teaching just about every language ever known to human kind. We've got Greek, Swahili, Spanish, Arabic, Korean, Thai, German and more covered on our playlist, while LeylaRandomness teaches French to English and Japanese speakers and latinguy2009 expertly ushers a dead language into the 21st century. Check out the full playlist:

So as you prepare to do a little summer travel these next few months (if it is indeed summer where you live), don't forget to seek out some language assistance from YouTube's global community of multilingual gurus. They've got a lot to share with you.

As we let you know on July 4, YouTube received a court order to produce viewing history data. We are pleased to report that Viacom, MTV and other litigants have backed off their original demand for all users' viewing histories and we will not be providing that information. (Read the official legalese here.)

In addition, Viacom and the plaintiffs had originally demanded access to users' private videos, our search technology, and our video identification technology. Our lawyers strongly opposed each of those demands and the court sided with us.

We'll keep you informed of any important developments in this lawsuit. We remain committed to protecting your privacy and we'll continue to fight for your right to share and broadcast your work on YouTube.

The latest installment of YouTube's Living Legends series is a double dose, featuring two of the greatest rappers of all time. These reigning members of hip-hop royalty represent both East and West coast styles and are two very different voices in the genre's past, present and future. So, get ready for Public Enemy guiding force Chuck D. and the one and only Cardozar Calvin Broadus Jr., better known to the world as Snoop Dogg. They're eager for your questions:

You'll be in good company as you quiz Chuck and Snoop: we've already got videos from a veritable posse of hip-hoppers and other notables who took time out to share their thoughts on how these two influenced their lives in music or politics. The Living Legends channel contains moving testimonials from Black Thought of the Roots, Afrika Bambaataa, Boots Riley from the Coup, as well as political activists like Fred Hampton Jr. and congresswoman Maxine Waters from L.A. There are also insider tales from David Aaron, Snoop's engineer, and Darryl Brooks, a concert promoter who booked Public Enemy on their very first tour. Take a peek:

So, at long last, it's time to "Bring the Noise" AND "Drop It Like It's Hot" – all in the same spot. Upload your question(s) for Chuck and Snoop here and/or share your own inspirational story about how these two (or hip-hop in general) touched your life by uploading a video response to the testimonial you like most.

Optimizations included in the beta version of "My Videos" are now live for all users, along with even more cool features to make managing your videos even easier.

NEW "MY VIDEOS" & SUBSCRIPTION CENTER

The YouTube video management tools have been improved! Now you can manage all of your videos (uploads, favorites, subscriptions, etc.) in one centralized place. It's easy to quickly add multiple videos to playlists, favorites, and quicklists by clicking the "add to" button. Searching across all of your videos is now possible, as is filtering them via title, time, date added, views and rating. You can also choose to view your videos in a list, grid, or condensed format (displaying up to 20 videos per page). Playlist management and sorting functions are now more streamlined, and include a collapsible menu for editing details.

Don't forget to comment here and let us know what you think of these upgrades.

Ever wanted to spend a day on the U.S. presidential campaign trail? Or wondered what it would be like to attend the 2008 political conventions, the biggest bash in U.S. politics? Today, both the Democratic and Republican National Convention Committees are giving you that chance through YouTube. As Chairmans Howard Dean and Mike Duncan explain in the videos below, you can win a day on the campaign trail and a trip to the conventions by creating a video revealing which party you support in '08 and why:

Check out YouTube's Convention Headquarters today to submit your video, and make sure that it meets the guidelines: keep it clean, keep it under two minutes, and submit it by August 1, 2008. One week later, the YouTube community will get to vote for the winner from among five finalists in each party. You don't have to be a member of the party faithful to participate: this is about which party you're behind in '08. It's your chance to speak up and let people know where you stand on the 2008 election.

And while you're at it, check out both conventions' YouTube channels: the RNCC and DNCC have great content -- like President Reagan's famous speech at the 1964 Republican National Convention and Senator Barack Obama's noteworthy address at the 2004 Convention –- that's worth a look.

What moments will be the most memorable at this year's conventions? Submit your video today for the chance to find out in person!

If you've always dreamed of donning designer duds and uncovering the latest celeb scoop, grab your video camera and get ready to hit the red carpet at a major awards ceremony this September. PEOPLE.com and YouTube have joined forces to launch our first-ever "Red Carpet Reporter" competition (www.youtube.com/redcarpetreporter). To qualify for this unique chance to mingle with Hollywood's hottest stars, submit your best two- to four-minute video using your front walk as a red carpet. Interview a friend or family member as if you were a professional reporter at a major awards show -- in other words, don't be afraid to to grill grandma about who she's wearing and how she prepared for her latest role.

Submit your video by midnight EST on Monday, July 21, and a team of PEOPLE.com editors and red carpet correspondents will narrow the field to 10 finalists. The top 10 will produce a second video in which the budding reporters conduct spontaneous interviews in a public space. Then it's up to PEOPLE.com and the YouTube community to select the best reporter; the winner will be unveiled on both PEOPLE.com and YouTube on August 27, 2008.

The grand prize recipient will spend a whirlwind two days in Los Angeles where he or she will receive the ultimate red carpet treatment, including hair and make-up by Revlon, a clothing allowance, VIP entry to exclusive events, and the chance to work the red carpet interviewing Hollywood celebrities. A video diary documenting the winner's day of preparing for and working the red carpet will be featured on both YouTube and PEOPLE.com.So break out that dusty formal wear, tell grandma to do her best diva impersonation, and show us you're "red carpet ready."

This Trendspotting Tuesday, let's put a dozen reality show parodies in a room together, sit back and watch what happens.

Unscripted television has been around since the days of Candid Camera and The Gong Show. But when we think of reality TV, many would agree that MTV's The Real World kicked off the genre we know and love today -- one filled with competitiveness, conflict and culture clashes. These days, The Real World might be mostly known for hotties, hot tubs and hookups, but comedian Kyle Cease has captured the utterly obnoxious roommate vibe that true reality junkies relish.

If you enjoyed that buffet platter of slightly-skewed reality, check out our Trendspotting Tuesday channel, where you can find playlists spotlighting other quirky slices of life, creativity and reality -- the real kind -- on YouTube.

Last month, singer-songwriter Aimee Mann asked to hear your versions of her song "Freeway" for the chance to perform with her on her U.S. tour later this summer. (Ten runners-up will get an autographed copy of her new CD, @#%&*! Smilers.)

Since then, amazing entries have come in from assorted robots, aliens, and talented Aimee fans –- some of you even hit the highway to record your own version of the song. Well, the deadline to enter is Monday, July 7 (aka NOW!), so get out your instrument of choice and take a crack at it. (Don't forget you can download the sheet music, lyrics and instrumental version of the song from Aimee's website here. ) Here's Aimee singing the official version of the song to show you just one way it could be done:

It's been two weeks since the launch of The YouTube Screening Room, and that can only mean one thing: a fresh batch of short films for your viewing pleasure.

For those of you who missed the initial announcement, The YouTube Screening Room is our new platform to help top films from around the world find the audiences they deserve. So far, hundreds of thousands of YouTubers have checked out the films, and thousands more have left comments.

We hope you'll enjoy the second round of films as much as you enjoyed the first. "The Clap," from the UK, tells the comic story of a music aficionado who finds a unique way to celebrate his favorite performer. "The Big Empty," from the US, stars Selma Blair as a young woman searching for a cure to her inner ache. "I Met the Walrus," from Canada, is the beautiful animated tale of a 14-year-old Beatle fan's real-life encounter with John Lennon. Finally, "School of Life," from the UK, follows a schoolboy as he learns life's most important lesson.

Stay tuned for our third round of films, debuting in two weeks on July 18.

As you may have seen in the news, YouTube received a court order to produce viewing data from our database, including usernames and IP addresses. In order to protect our community's privacy, we strongly opposed this motion when Viacom and others filed it.

The court felt differently and ordered us to produce the data. Viacom said that they need general viewing information to determine the proportion of views on YouTube of copyright infringing content vs. non-infringing content.

Of course, we have to follow legal process. But since IP addresses and usernames aren't necessary to determine general viewing practices, our lawyers have asked their lawyers to let us remove that information before we hand over the data they're seeking. (You should know, IP addresses identify a computer, not the person using it. It's not possible to determine your identity solely based on your IP address. Rather, an IP address can reveal what geographic area you're connecting from, or which Internet service provider you're using.)

Why do we keep this information in the first place? It helps us personalize the YouTube experience, getting you closer to the videos you most want to watch. We have many features on the site that help users discover and share compelling content, and we're improving the video experience through recommendations, related videos, and personalized directories that help you find meaningful videos.

We'll continue to fight for your right to share and broadcast your work. The court did impose some encouraging limits -- they agreed with us that Viacom should not have access to private videos or our search technology. Also, the information we provide will be designated highly confidential under court order and only Viacom's outside counsel and experts will have access to it.

Legal matters aside, our focus remains on providing you with the best possible YouTube experience and we continue to be committed to protecting your privacy. Every day, millions of creative people from around the world are posting new, original content. You, our community, are creating the YouTube experience now and tomorrow.

Our friends over at Google Mobile have started a new YouTube channel called Mobile Tricks. They want to know what you can do with your cell phone, and start you off with a guy who's a bit obsessed with them. Look familiar? You might have seen him before in a unitard.

They're asking for all kinds of tricks, from the useful to the completely ridiculous, and they can be with or without Google Mobile products. To submit a video, start and end it with these slides, and submit it to their channel page. They're putting the best submissions in their playlists and blogging about their favorites, and we put one of our favorites on the YouTube home page over the weekend – holotext messaging.

For further inspiration, here's a video about how to save America with your phone (thanks to davestonedesign) and the WillItBlend guys doing what they do best.